August 25, 2009

I recently picked up a copy of Raw Emotions by Angela Stokes-Monarch during a talk she gave in Boulder. I am truly amazed at how many of us resonate with the struggle of compulsive emotional eating.

And to say that I've completely overcome emotional eating myself wouldn't hold true, because I realize that food will always play a comforting role in my life. I try to see it as an ongoing journey of progress. But as I read this book, I am confronted with the realization that I have yet to find true serenity in my own relationship with food.

My journey of moving beyond emotional eating has been a long one, and I still find myself struggling with portion control. But I have learned to love myself knowing how much progress I have made overall. I truly believe it goes back to loving and honoring my body, rather than allowing the emotion to get its addictive fix.

So as I continue to seek serenity within myself, I have found that aiming for an 80% raw food lifestyle is ideal for my long term success. But let truth be known, my diet is not always perfect. And honestly, at this point on my path I don’t want that responsibility, nor do I want others to hold that expectation of me. (Interesting insight I picked up on so far into the book.) My weight still fluctuates but that's where portion control and lots of self-love comes in for me.

I think what's important is learning to have patience and understanding that the process takes a while. We are trying to reprogram years of habitually allowing food to be the answer to our fears and anxiety. So it's only natural that reversing that psychological and emotional attachment will take some time.

For those of you who are just starting out on a path to overcoming emotional eating, be kind and loving to yourself as you move forward… and definitely get yourself a copy of this book!

As I make my way through these pages I'm somewhat overwhelmed, as it hits too close to home, yet I truly feel hopeful. I can hardly anticipate what further insight may be revealed in the pages that follow.Award-winning author Angela Stokes-Monarch lost an amazing 160lbs by adopting a raw food lifestyle. For more information and to order your copy of Raw Emotions visit RawReform.com

2 comments:

I would love to return to the feelings I used to have about food--take it or leave it. No big deal. I now eat for all kinds of reasons other than hunger--tasting to see if it's good as I make meals and snacks for the kids, eating stuff out of curiosity, eating for fun, eating just because it's there, unconsciously "cleaning my plate", all that...

What ways do you practice self love? I saw that you love yoga. I do, too. This is probably one of my favorite ways to practice self love. Reading, drinking herbal tea, buying on the best stuff for my skin and hair, drinking filtered water, doing what excites me and floats my boat. Just curious. We don't talk about self-love a whole in our society or schools. Sending you love from Fort Collins!

Eating should be a pleasurable experience so I think eating for pleasure, out of curiosity, or just for fun is a great approach to food. It turns destructive once we start eating out of boredom or to fill an emotional void :-(

I practice self love in very similar ways you've mentioned. I'll also say loving affirmations to myself and I try to surround myself with beauty in my home, with art and nature. I try to listen to uplifting music and I've made sure to let go of anything in my home that no longer serves me (anything that has a negative memory associated with it or simply doesn't reflect the person I want to be). And I try to stay patient with myself and focus on my progress rather than beating myself up when I'm not being perfect.

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Eating a nutrient rich diet of whole natural foods is the only way to ensure lasting radiant health. When you nourish the body with a vibrant living cuisine, as nature intended, you become an expression of radiant health. Raw cuisine is in fact nature's secret to youthful longevity.

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